Compressible roller for use in stabilizing a floating dock

ABSTRACT

A roller assembly for a floating dock, wherein the roller assembly is adapted to roll along a piling as the dock moves in a generally vertical direction, and dampen movement of the floating dock relative to the piling when the dock moves in a generally horizontal direction. The roller assembly includes a connecting bracket attachable to the dock and a wheel rotatably coupled to the connecting bracket. The wheel is compressible against the piling in response to horizontal movement of the dock relative to the piling, wherein the compression of the wheel dampens such horizontal movement to stabilize the dock, and dampen impact loads.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/083,027, filed Nov. 21, 2014, the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a device for stabilizing a floating dock, and more particularly, to a roller assembly including a compressible wheel adapted to roll along an adjacent piling and dampen horizontal movements of the dock relative to the piling.

2. Description of the Prior Art

It is well-known that docks are man-made structures that typically extend from shore over a body of water. Docks are commonly employed to provide a walkway from the shore to a boat, which may be tethered to a post or piling adjacent the dock. In addition, docks may be used as a location from which one may swim, as well as a spot to relax and enjoy the nautical scenery.

It is common for the water level in a given body of water to fluctuate. For instance, the ocean tides cause the water levels to vary along an ocean coastline, and the release or retaining of water within a reservoir may also alter the reservoir's water level. Consequently, it may be desirable for docks to be adaptable to such changes in the water level. One common approach for accounting for the changing water levels is to connect the dock to a float system. In this manner, as the water levels fluctuate, the dock remains floating on the surface of the water. A gangway may extend from the shore to the floating portion of the dock to provide a pathway thereto.

The floating dock is typically restrained from movement to prevent the dock from floating away. A regularly used restraining technique is to design the dock to include a hole or outrigger for allowing a piling to protrude therethrough. The pilings typically restrain the dock from floating away.

In rough conditions, waves may cause the dock to rise and fall along the pilings. Therefore, floating docks commonly include one or more rigid rollers to facilitate upward and downward movement of the dock relative to the piling. However, in most instances, there is necessarily a significant clearance between the roller and the piling to accommodate the out of plumb of the pile, which under changing tide levels, could cause a damaging binding. Under rough conditions, the rollers may crash with the pilings, which typically results in banging, damage, and instability of the dock. Furthermore, the float systems connected to the docks are typically designed with the intention of simply keeping the dock floating, as opposed to enhancing the stability of the dock. Additionally, concrete piles commonly in use are destroyed under repeat un-absorbed impact loads.

As is apparent from the foregoing, there exists a need in the art for an improvement for stabilizing a floating dock. The present invention addresses this particular need, as will be discussed in more detail below.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various aspects of the present invention are directed providing a compressible roller assembly for a floating dock, wherein the roller assembly is adapted to roll along a piling as the dock moves in a generally vertical direction, and compress against the piling for dampening movement of the floating dock relative to the piling when the dock moves in a generally horizontal direction. Thus, the dampening effect provided by the roller assembly mitigates sudden changes in the horizontal direction, thereby providing a more stable surface for someone located on the dock, and dampens impact loads on the piling.

According to one embodiment, the roller assembly includes a connecting bracket adapted to be connectable to the floating dock. A compressible wheel is rotatably coupled to the connecting bracket and is adapted to roll along a generally vertical piling.

The compressible wheel may include an internal reservoir adapted to be filled with a compressible foam or other fluids known in the art capable of creating a dampening effect when the dock moves in a generally horizontal direction relative to a corresponding piling.

The present invention is best understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a roller assembly constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the roller assembly is coupled to a floating dock and adapted to interface with a piling;

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the roller assembly having an internal reservoir filled with a compressible foam material;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the roller assembly having an internal reservoir filled with air;

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of another embodiment of a roller assembly including a compressible foam material interposed between a pair of external roller bodies; and

FIG. 5 is a top view of a plurality of roller assemblies disposed about a common piling.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings where the showings are for purposes of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention only, and not for purposes of limiting the same, there is shown a roller assembly 10 for interfacing a floating dock 12 and a piling 14. In particular, the floating nature of the dock 12 results in movement of the dock 12 relative to the piling 14. The roller assembly 10 allows for relatively smooth motion of the dock 12 in a generally vertical direction, while at the same time, the roller assembly 10 is specifically configured and adapted to dampen generally horizontal movement of the dock 12 relative to the piling 14. Thus, the roller assembly 10 enhances the overall stability of the dock 12, thereby making the dock 12 safer and easier to walk on, and dampens damaging impact loads imparted on the piling 14.

As noted above, one commonly employed technique for restraining a dock 12 that is floating in a body of water is to connect the dock 12 to one or more adjacent pilings 14, which are elongate columns extending upwardly from the ocean floor (or similar underwater surface) along a piling axis 17 and above the waterline 15. To effectuate such a connection, the dock 12 typically includes one or more openings through which the piling(s) 14 extend. Therefore, as the water currents, waves, etc., urge the dock 12 away from its desired location, the protruding pilings 14 prevent the dock 12 from floating away. The pilings 14 may define a wide range of sizes and shapes, including pilings 14 having round, quadrangular, hexagonal, octagonal, etc., cross sections.

Rough water conditions may undesirably result in violent crashing/impact loading of the dock 12 into the piling 14, which may cause damage to the dock 12, and also create a very unsteady surface upon which to walk. Thus, various aspects of the roller assembly 10 described herein are directed toward providing a smoother vertical traversal of the dock 12 along the piling 14, while dampening lateral or horizontal (e.g., a direction generally perpendicular to the piling axis 17) movement of the dock 12 relative to the piling 14.

According to one embodiment, the roller assembly 10 generally includes a wheel 16 and a connecting bracket 18 which is connected to the dock 12. The dock 12 generally includes a dock platform 20 and a dock float 22 coupled to the dock platform 20 and configured to provide the buoyancy needed to allow the dock 12 to float on the body of water. According to one implementation, the dock platform 20 is formed from a pultruded material. For more information about the dock platform 20 and dock float 22, please refer to U.S. Pat. No. 8,402,908, entitled, Dock System, which is owned by Applicant, the contents of which being expressly incorporated herein by reference. While a pultruded dock platform 20 may be a preferred material, it is also understood that the dock 12 may also be formed of other materials, such as wood, aluminum or other materials known by those skilled in the art.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 2, the wheel 16 includes a wheel wall 24 defining an internal reservoir 26 that is filled with a medium for maintaining the wheel 16 in an inflated configuration. The wheel wall 24 is formed from a resilient material to allow the wheel wall 24 to flex and conform to the shape of the piling 14 as the wheel 16 compresses against the piling 14. The wheel wall 24 may be formed of polyethylene, although other materials known in the art may also be used. According to one embodiment, the internal reservoir 26 is filled with an elastic (shape recovering) compressible foam. FIG. 3 shows another embodiment, wherein the internal reservoir 26 is filled with air, although other fluids may also be used to fill the internal reservoir 26, such as Nitrogen or other gases known in the art. The wheel 16 may include a valve to allow for filling of the internal reservoir with the compressible medium.

According to one embodiment, the wheel 16 defines a generally annular shape, such that the wheel wall 24 includes a sidewall portion 28 and an end wall portion 30 coupled to the sidewall portion 28 and adapted to interface with the piling 14. The wheel 16 may have one or more external grooves formed in the end wall portion 30 to enhance the traction between the wheel 16 and the external surface of the piling 14. In particular, the grooves may act as flow channels to remove water that may be located between the wheel 16 and the piling 14.

The wheel 16 is mounted on the connecting bracket 18, which is in turn mounted on the dock 12. According to one embodiment, the connecting bracket 18 is a generally U-shaped bracket having a lower mounting plate 32 and a pair of generally opposed side plates 34 extending from the lower mounting plate 32. The lower mounting plate 32 may be connected to the dock 12 using conventional mechanical fasteners, such as bolts, screws, nails, rivets, etc., as well as adhesives or other fastening mechanisms known in the art. The lower mounting plate 32 includes a lower surface 36 and an opposed upper surface 38. The lower surface 36 faces toward the dock 12 and the upper surface 38 faces away from the dock 12 when the lower mounting plate 32 is connected to the dock 12.

The pair of opposed side plates 34 each include an opening formed therein, wherein the openings are coaxially aligned to accommodate an axle 40 upon which the wheel 16 is mounted. The axle 40 defines an axis of rotation about which the wheel 16 rotates. The wheel 16 may be coupled to the axle 40 via a hub 42. The hub 42 may be formed of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene or other materials known in the art.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is depicted another embodiment of a roller assembly 10 a including a compressible foam body 44 located between an outer roller body 46 and an inner roller body 48. The outer roller body 46 includes an outer wall 50 and a pair of opposed side walls 52, while the inner roller body 48 includes an end wall 54 and a pair of opposed side walls 56. The outer and inner roller bodies 46, 48 act as covers which are sized to fit on the compressible foam body 44. The outer and inner roller bodies 46, 48 are formed of a strong durable material, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE). The outer roller body 46 is adapted to interface with the piling 14, while the inner roller body 48 is adapted to interface with the axle 40. As such, the inner roller body 48 includes an opening sized and configured to receive the axle 40. During use, as the roller assembly 10 a compresses against the piling 14, the outer roller body 46 may move relative to the inner roller body 48, which results in compression of the foam body 44.

Hereinafter, any reference to a roller assembly 10 may also refer to the roller assembly 10 a discussed above.

It is contemplated that multiple roller assemblies 10 may be coupled to the dock 12 and arranged to interact with a common piling 14 dampening the movement of the dock 12 in multiple directions. Along these lines, FIG. 5 shows four roller assemblies 10 arranged around a single piling 14. From the perspective depicted in FIG. 5, the roller assemblies 10 are arranged in opposed pairs, wherein a first pair of assemblies 10 is arranged with one assembly 10 on top of the piling 14 and another assembly 10 on the bottom of the piling 14, and a first pair of assemblies 10 is arranged with one assembly 10 on the left of the piling 14 and the other assembly 10 on the right of the piling 14.

With the basic structural features of the roller assembly 10 discussed above, the following will describe an exemplary use of the roller assembly 10. The roller assembly 10 is connected to a floating dock 12, preferably before the dock 12 is placed in the water, although it is understood that the roller assembly 10 may be connected to the dock 12 after the dock 12 is placed in the water. The roller assembly 10 is positioned such that the end wall portion 30 faces a piling 14 located adjacent the dock 12. As the water levels fluctuate, either as a result of a change in tides, or from passing waves, the position of the dock 12 moves relative to the piling 14. As the dock 12 moves, the wheel 16 may be brought into contact with the external surface of the piling 14. In this respect, the wheel 16 is positioned relative to the dock 12 such that the wheel 16 comes into contact with the piling 14 before the dock 12 itself contacts the piling 14. As such, the wheel 16 may extend beyond an edge of the dock 12.

As the dock 12 continues to move toward the piling 14, the wheel 16 compresses against the piling 14, which causes the wheel wall 24 to flex and conform to the piling 14. As the wheel 16 compresses against the piling 14, horizontal movement of the dock 12 becomes stabilized by virtue of the dampening force applied by the wheel 16. The dampening force is attributable to the compression of the foam or fluid located within the internal reservoir 26; the more the foam or fluid is compressed, the higher the dampening force. In this respect, the dampening force increases as the wheel 16 moves toward the piling 14 after the wheel 16 is already engaged with the piling 14. Vertical movement of the wheel 16 does not significantly affect the magnitude of the dampening force, since the wheel 16 is adapted to roll along the piling 14.

Although the foregoing describes a roller assembly 10 as having a wheel 16 that rotates relative to a connecting bracket 18, it is understood that a key feature of the roller assembly 10 is its ability to dampen horizontal movement of the dock 12 relative to the piling 14. As explained in more detail above, the dampening ability of the wheel 16 is attributable to a resilient wheel wall 24, as well as an internal reservoir 26 filled with a compressible medium. As such, it is contemplated that other aspects of the invention may include any dampening device having a resilient wall and a compressible medium. In this respect, other dampening devices may not have a wheel which rolls along an external surface of the piling; rather, such other dampening devices may simply translate or slide along the piling. As such, the dampening device may include a bearing attached to the external surface of the reservoir wall to reduce the friction between the dampening device and the piling.

The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A compressible roller assembly configured for use on a floating dock for stabilizing the dock relative to an adjacent piling defining a longitudinal piling axis, the compressible roller assembly comprising: a connecting bracket connectable to the floating dock; and a wheel rotatably coupled to the connecting bracket and rotatable about a rotation axis generally perpendicular to the piling axis when the connecting bracket is coupled to the floating dock, the wheel at least partially defining an internal reservoir, the wheel being sized and configured to be engageable with the piling in response to movement of the floating dock relative to the piling in a direction substantially perpendicular to the piling axis, movement of the floating dock along the longitudinal piling axis causing rotation of the wheel about the rotation axis when the wheel is engaged with the piling; and a compressible medium located within the internal reservoir and adapted to impart a dampening force on the floating dock via the connecting bracket in response to engagement between the wheel and the piling to mitigate further movement of the floating dock toward the piling.
 2. The compressible roller assembly recited in claim 1, wherein the connecting bracket is a U-shaped bracket having an end plate positioned between a pair of opposed side plates.
 3. The compressible roller assembly recited in claim 1, further comprising a hub connected to the wheel, the hub and the wheel collectively defining the internal reservoir.
 4. The compressible roller assembly recited in claim 1, wherein the wheel is formed of polyethylene.
 5. The compressible roller assembly of claim 1, wherein the wheel includes a plurality of circumferential grooves formed therein.
 6. The compressible roller assembly of claim 1, wherein the compressible medium includes a compressible foam material.
 7. The compressible roller assembly of claim 1, wherein the compressible medium includes a fluid.
 8. A floating dock adapted for use with a piling defining a longitudinal piling axis, the floating dock comprising: a dock platform positionable adjacent the piling; and a first roller assembly connected to the dock platform, the first roller assembly comprising: a connecting bracket connectable to the dock platform; and a wheel rotatably coupled to the connecting bracket and rotatble about a rotation axis generally perpendicular to the piling axis, the wheel at least partially defining an internal reservoir, the wheel being sized and configured to be engageable with the piling in response to movement of the dock platform relative to the piling in a direction substantially perpendicular to the piling axis, movement of the dock platform along the longitudinal piling axis causing rotation of the wheel about the rotation axis when the wheel is engaged with the piling; and a compressible medium located within the internal reservoir and adapted to impart a dampening force on the dock platform via the connecting bracket in response to engagement between the wheel and the piling to mitigate further movement of the dock platform toward the piling.
 9. The floating dock recited in claim 8, wherein the connecting bracket is a U-shaped bracket having an end plate positioned between a pair of opposed side plates.
 10. The floating dock recited in claim 8, further comprising a hub connected to the wheel, the hub and the wheel collectively defining the internal reservoir.
 11. The floating dock recited in claim 8, wherein the wheel is formed of polyethylene.
 12. The floating dock of claim 8, wherein the wheel includes a plurality of circumferential grooves formed therein.
 13. The floating dock of claim 8, wherein the compressible medium includes a compressible foam material.
 14. The floating dock of claim 8, wherein the compressible medium includes a fluid.
 15. The floating dock of claim 8, further comprising a second roller assembly coupled to the dock platform in spaced relation to the first roller assembly, the second roller assembly comprising: a connecting bracket connectable to the dock platform; and a wheel rotatably coupled to the connecting bracket and rotatble about a rotation axis generally perpendicular to the piling axis, the wheel at least partially defining an internal reservoir, the wheel being sized and configured to be engageable with the piling in response to movement of the dock platform relative to the piling in a direction substantially perpendicular to the piling axis, movement of the dock platform along the longitudinal piling axis causing rotation of the wheel about the rotation axis when the wheel is engaged with the piling; and a compressible medium located within the internal reservoir and adapted to impart a dampening force on the dock platform via the connecting bracket in response to engagement between the wheel and the piling to mitigate further movement of the dock platform toward the piling.
 16. The floating dock of claim 15, wherein the second roller assembly is positioned in opposed relation to the first roller assembly.
 17. A compressible roller assembly configured for use on a floating dock for stabilizing the dock relative to an adjacent piling defining a longitudinal piling axis, the compressible roller assembly comprising: a connecting bracket connectable to the floating dock; and a compressible body rotatably coupled to the connecting bracket and rotatable about a rotation axis generally perpendicular to the piling axis when the connecting bracket is coupled to the floating dock, the compressible body being sized and configured to be operatively engageable with the piling in response to movement of the floating dock relative to the piling in a direction substantially perpendicular to the piling axis, movement of the floating dock along the longitudinal piling axis causing rotation of the compressible body about the rotation axis when the compressible body is operatively engaged with the piling; the compressible body being adapted to impart a dampening force on the floating dock via the connecting bracket in response to operative engagement between the compressible element and the piling to mitigate further movement of the floating dock toward the piling.
 18. The compressible roller assembly as recited in claim 17, further comprising an outer roller body coupled to the compressible body and extending over a radially outward portion thereof.
 19. The compressible roller assembly as recited in claim 18, further comprising an inner roller body coupled to the compressible body and extending over a radially inward portion thereof.
 20. The compressible roller assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein the compressible body is formed of compressible foam. 